Page 72 of The Déjà Glitch
Helen arched a brow at her. “That doesn’t help anything, ma’am.”
“We can look him up online!” Lila blurted, obviously keeping up.
Gemma’s heart pounded as she whipped out her phone and attacked her screen, suddenly thankful for such easy access to information and feeling foolish for not thinking of it earlier.
“Let me see...” she muttered as she scrolled. “Mac Drake... written by...”
And there it was.
“Lincoln!” she shouted. “Jack Lincoln!” She held out the phone for Helen to see.
She flinched at the bright screen and frowned.
Jack Lincoln, Gemma thought. What a solid name.
“I still can’t tell you if he’s on that plane, ma’am. And I’m not making a PA announcement. Now please, step aside.” She held out her hand as if she were pushing Gemma and beckoned the unhappy man in line.
He stepped forward and jostled her with his shoulder.
“Wait! Please, I—”
“Ma’am!” Helen said sternly. “There’s nothing I can do to help you unless you want to buy a ticket, and to do that, you need to go to the end of the line andwaitlike everyone else.”
Gemma flinched at the bite in her voice. She couldn’t see over the counter but assumed there was a phone back there that would connect her to someone who could help. Reaching for it would surely get her tackled by security, as would making a run for the gate.
She silently cursed the factors that had made airport security so insufferably tight. Yes, it stopped all sorts of malicious intentions, but it scooped up noble ones in the safety net too.
Gemma took a deep breath and made one final stand. She looked right into Helen’s eyes. “Please, Helen. I’m begging you. The man who might be the love of my life is on that plane, and I’ll never know if we’re meant to be together if I don’t stop him from taking off. I’m asking for your help. Please.”
Helen eyed her as her jaw clenched. Gemma could see a decision processing in her cold eyes, and she hoped she had earned her sympathy.
Her heart surged when Helen reached for the phone that was indeed hiding behind the desk. Her face split into a smile and hope buoyed her spirit.
“Can I get security to the counter, please?” Helen said, and Gemma’s soaring heart fell to the floor. “We have someone who needs to be escorted out.” She paused to listen. “Thank you.” She hung up and returned her gaze to Gemma. The look on her face said she took satisfaction in snatching away the fleeting hope that she had actually planned to help. “You have about twenty seconds to leave on your own before someone comes and forces you to.”
A chill shook Gemma’s body at the threat in her voice. She did not want to risk being escorted out, but she was so close. And she was still reeling from admitting what Jack meant to her. She had let her heart do the talking and what had come out... it assured her she was in the right place doing the right thing.
Lila suddenly threw herself at the counter, camera still in hand. “Who hurt you, Helen? Don’t you believe in love? This woman is here grand-gesturing and you’re creating a needless barrier!”
Helen flinched, and Gemma grabbed Lila’s arm before shereallygot them in trouble. She tugged her away to a mix of applause and groans of sympathetic support from passengers.
“Love will win, Helen!” Lila shouted, somehow still managing to hold her camera and capture it all live. “Love always wins!”
“Lila! You’re going to get us in trouble!” Gemma scolded right as a large man in a TSA uniform approached them. She took a sobering breath.
“Is there a problem here?” the security agent asked. The name badge resting on his broad chest saidRaul.
“No,” Gemma began. “We’re just leaving—”
“Yes, there’s a problem!” Lila snapped, camera now trained on Raul the TSA agent. “My best friend is here trying to stopthe man she lovesfrom boarding a flight out of her life forever and weneedto get to the gate! ButHelenis a bitter—”
Raul held out a gentle arm. He was tall and bulky with light brown skin that Gemma imagined would have set off a nice smile if he weren’t frowning at them. “Ma’am, please lower the camera.”
“I’m sorry,” Gemma muttered on behalf of them both. She felt not only the eyes through the camera on them, but everyone in the airport was staring at the scene.
“Don’t apologize, Gemma!” Lila scolded, and lifted the camera back up. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
Raul’s eyes flashed as if someone had turned on a light. He took a step back and looked them both up and down. “Wait, Gemma?”